: iflb if raps. 
IMPROVED COTTON CULTURE. 
It has been generally understood at the. 
North that the usual preparation of the soil 
for, and after culture of, the cotton crop at 
the South could not he classed with what, is 
understood as high farming; that the ground 
is not plowed with care to any great depth, 
nor are fertilizers applied in proportion to 
the growth required to perfect what might 
be called a good crop, the planter generally 
depending upon a great breadth of laud, or 
leaving those too much worn to he cropped 
with profit for virgin soil in his own or some 
Other locality. 
That a paying crop may be raised by good 
culture and manure, is shown by the pre¬ 
mium crop exhibited at the last Georgia 
State Fair, which is stated to have been 
27,20ft pounds from six acres, an average of 
three and a-balf bales (of four hundred 
pounds) per acre. 
The grower, Mr. B. G. Lockett, Albany, 
Ga., lias furnished the Albany (Ga.) News 
with a detailed statement from which the 
following particulars are compiled. 
The land was broken with a large plow 
six inches deep in the month of January, in 
which condition it remained until the 24th 
of April. The rows were laid off with a 
“ scoter” plow, five feet apart, following in 
eacli furrow with a double-winged shovel 
plow sixteen inches long and eleven inches 
wide, drawn by two mules. In these fur¬ 
rows was distributed about one hundred and 
filly bushels of well rotted horse lot manure 
and three hundred pounds of ammoniated 
dissolved hones per acre. This was covered 
with a email plow with a mold-board at¬ 
tached, following in each furrow with a sub¬ 
soil plow, breaking in all about fifteen inches 
deep, followed by sowing the seed with a 
planter at the rate of one bushel per acre. 
The writer lias maintained a dairy of 
eleven cows, giving them all that they 
would eat, (fed in a stable, but allowed the 
range of a clean, dry, shady yard for exer¬ 
cise,) for twenty-six days, on one acre of 
corn grown as he has recommended. The 
cows had received one feed a day of the 
soiling corn for some two weeks prior to 
confining them to it entirely. They filled 
themselves well, were in healthy condition, 
and increased in yield and quality of milk 
over that given during the partial soiling 
It is important, to have all grequ food used 
for soiling wilted before it is fed. 1 am con¬ 
fident that jail who test soiling as I have 
reconnne ided will never discontinue it. 
I have known dairymen to say, in a time 
of an extreme drouth, that t hey would cheer¬ 
fully give $100 for an acre of corn fodder, 
such as I was feeding, which they could 
have grown for less than half that amount. 
I have fed my teams, both horses and 
oxen, in autumn, on com fodder, grown 
and manipulated as recommended, with 
great satisfaction. I am aware that there 
are farmers here and there who have no 
need for above suggestions; but there is yet 
a large number who do nol even understand 
what is meant by soiling. 1 do hope that 
many who have had no experience with 
soiling will test it. thoroughly, and publish 
the result for the benefit of others. 
J. Wilkinson. 
-♦♦♦- 
CORN FOR SOILING: 
Its Importance, !Himn»enient nnd Mode of 
Foedius:.—Ollier Koiliug Crops. 
Having witnessed the effect of the severe 
drouth of last season in various parts of the 
country, the great loss to live stock owners, 
particularly to dairymen, and the very un¬ 
comfortable condition of the animals, where 
no provision was made for soiling them, 1 
resolved then that I would call the attention 
of all interested in this subject to its import¬ 
ance, when it must be heeded if they would 
avail themselves of the advantage to be de¬ 
rived from it the present season. That time 
has arrived. 
Now prepare an area of good fertile land, 
in proportion to the number of animals to 
be kept, located as near as practicable to the 
stable or yard where animals are to be soiled. 
Manure it liberally, and till it thoroughly. 
Plant it in drills two feet six inches apart, 
with good, bright seed of a large variety of 
gourd seed corn, dropping the kernels four 
incites apart in the drills. Divide the area 
to be planted into five equal parts, and plant 
the first plat as soon as the work of putting 
in the spring crops is over; continue to plant 
a plat every week uutil all is planted. 
Do not wait until the corn and weeds have 
made a growtli of four or five inches before 
3 'ou begin to till the soiling’crop, but harrow 
the ground all over, without regard to the 
drills, just as the corn is coming up. Con¬ 
tinue the use of the harrow until the com is 
so large that the frame of the harrow breaks 
it, taking out a tooth of the harrow where it 
strikes the drills. When the harrow can be 
no longer used, continue the culture by using 
a cultivator with one horse, with a short 
swiugletree, until it can be cultivated no 
longer. 
Do not begin to cut and feed until the 
pollen has fallen, and if some roasting cars 
fit for use are formed before the last of each 
planting ia fed, all the better. Cut when 
dry, and Jay in small gavels, and let the 
stalks wilt for t welve hours before feeding. 
If you have a stable, feed in it; if not, feed 
in mangers in a yard where the fodder will 
not be soiled. Keep rock salt lying where 
the animals can have access to it continually. 
Do not defer commencing feeding with the 
soiling corn until the pastures are all de¬ 
voured and the cows are nearly dry, but 
give one feed a day at first, and so continue 
as long as pasture continues, and when it 
fail i give all that the animals will eat, and 
it will be found that the quantity anti quality 
of the milk and butter produced will be near¬ 
ly or quite equal to a bill bite of the best 
grass pasture. Cows soiled should have per¬ 
petual access to good pure water, which is 
the better for standing in the sun until it is 
warm. They should also have a clean, drj r 
place to lie. 
Corn thus grown is adapted to feeding in 
the latter part of the grazing season. In 
cause there is danger of a failure of the pas¬ 
ture ere the corn is ready to feed, it will be 
judicious to put in oats and barley (if the 
soil and climate is adapted to them,) tilling 
the ground deeply and thoroughly, in all 
cases using the subsoil plow, and manuring 
liberally, that these may be used in the early 
part of the season. The oats and barley will 
come off in time to be succeeded by ruta¬ 
bagas the current, year; and all the land in 
fodder corn may be followed by common, 
purple-top turnips, particularly if Peruvian 
guano is applied with the roots, The later 
the turnip crop is, if it gets its growth, the 
more valuable will it be. 
As soon as the plants were large enough 
they were plowed with a sweep, cutting two 
feet wide and one-half inch deep,and chopped 
with a lioe to a stand leaving one and two 
and sometimes three stalks—the width of 
the hoe, and as near as practicable ten thous¬ 
and stalks to the acre. The field was hoed 
twice and plowed seven times, each time 
with the two-foot, sweep and never over half 
an inch deep. The manuring does not, ap¬ 
pear to have been very heavy, about equal 
to five loads of manure and three hundred 
pounds of super phosphate per acre. Suc¬ 
cess should probably be in a great part at¬ 
tributed to deep plowing and good cultiva¬ 
tion of the crop, and shows that a paying 
crop may be grown on a small plat of ground 
when improved methods are brought into 
requisition. 
--- 
FIELD NOTES. 
IMnutinsr Broom Corn. 
An Iowa correspondent chooses for soil, 
rich sandy loam, or rich river bottom land. 
Dry land is best for broom corn, if rich 
enough. Rows should be not more than 
three feet six incites apart, mid in Dills 
twenty to twenty-four inches apart in the 
row, leaving six to eight stalks to the bill. 
Can raise more corn to the acre in hills than 
hi drills; it is more work to plant in hills, 
but less work to harvest. 
Prevent Potatoes Blo»*ominir. 
A distinguished Frenchman, Gilliodts, 
has been testing the influence of flowering 
upon the yield of potatoes, and the results 
have been so marked and conclusive that he 
recommends the suppression of the floral or¬ 
gans of the potato; that the buds be re¬ 
moved as soon as possible after they appear, 
in order to prevent the fixing of the nourish¬ 
ing principles necessary to the complete 
formation of the floral organs; that the re¬ 
moval should he done by hand rather than 
with any sickle or other sharp instrument, 
since the tops of the potatoes would be liable 
to be injured thereby. 
The No«linuuocU Potatoes. 
We used to think there were no potatoes 
like the two varieties of Neshaunock—white 
and blue; but they have become nearly 
ext inct. They have rotted so badly for some 
years that but few farmers raise them. There 
is, perhaps, no potato that excels the blue 
Neshaunock, for its good table qualities.— 
John T. ShirlD8. 
I)o Potntocs Mix in the Hill. 
We often see the question propounded 
“ do potatoes mix in the hill ?” It is always 
safe to answer in the negative; yet there arc 
cases when it is difficult to prove this asser¬ 
tion, for potatoes planted as a particular 
variety, distinguished by particular colors, 
etc., are known to come to maturity differ¬ 
ing in some respects, this is accounted for 
from what is termed “ bud variation.” A 
single eye of a potato may—as is known to 
lie the fact—produce a new variety. Cases 
may be found corroborating this in the 
Gardener’s Chronicle for 1857, page G02, and 
page 618. Ibid, 1841, page 814.—W. H. 
W niTE. 
The Grasses in Mississippi. 
A correspondent, who dates his letter at 
Saltillo, Miss., forty miles south of Corinth, 
writes:—“ We have a variety of soils. The 
“ black shell” lauds are fine for red clover. 
I have had some on my place for ten years, 
and have taken no pains to cultivate it. I 
find bunches about on my land some half 
mile from where I bad it sown. I have 
sown some ten acres this spring and it looks 
promising; also some orchard grass with 
some of my clover. Several years ago I had 
a fine meadow of nerd’s grass—forty or fitly 
acres, as fine as I ever saw anywhere. Our 
lands will produce from twenty to forty 
bushels of corn per acre; eight to fifteen 
hundred pounds of seed cotton per acre, ac¬ 
cording to preparation of laud and mode of 
cultivation. I have seen eighteen hundred 
grown to the acre without the use of fer¬ 
tilizers. I wish to confute the idea, that a 
great many people North have, that red 
clover and other grasses will not grow as 
far South as Mississippi. 1 have not hauled 
a load of manure, or caused the same to be 
done, on my land since the surrender.” 
Tlie Ont Crop of l.Hfifi Coni runted with tlint 
of the Five Ycio-m Previoun, 
Is said, by a Michigan correspondent,, to be 
unfair, for the following reasons :—“ In 1868 
the oat. crop was nearly a total failure, on 
account of drouth In 1867 we had only 
half a crop of oats, from same cause. In 
1866 we had an average crop of oats. In 1805 
we had an average crop of oats. In 1864 we 
had more than an average crop of oats, but 
not so heavy a yield as the oat crop of 1869. 
In order to give a fair test relative to the 
merit or demerit of the Norway oats in con¬ 
trast with other varieties of oats, the oat 
crop of 1809 should have been taken to prove 
the superiority of the Norway oat. The oat 
crop of this township (and I think ^that 1 
may include the entire State of Michigan,) 
will average fifty bushels per acre for the 
year 1869. Had extra cultivation been given 
to the soil, tho result would have been a 
larger average yield. Does any person 
doubt that tho soil on which the crop of 
Norway oats grew had this extra cultiva¬ 
tion? And also more care (hence less loss) 
in harvesting ? ” 
Hweel I'otntoeM Don’t Succeed iu Orenon. 
The Willamette Farmer, in answer to an 
inquirer, who asks where sweet potatoes can 
be obtained for seed, says:—“ We would not 
advise an attempt at cultivation of the sweet 
potato in this or the Umpqua Valley. All 
efforts to cultivate them in this vicinity have 
proved fruitless, as the crops produced are 
worthless, from the fact that the potato is 
not palatable after being cooked. 
br~licrbsnt;w. 
inbnstrial {Topics. 
MIDDLEMEN. 
It is a very common occurrence to hear 
persons find fault witli middlemen who, at 
the same time, do not know the true posi¬ 
tion they occupy. It is a beautiful idea, to 
realize that we all live on the labor of one 
another. The working or business class all 
furnish an equivalent, while Lbe so-called 
independent are the most dependent, as they 
furnish nothing, and depend on all the others 
for the articles they make use of. The 
farmer furnishes the eatables, and lie in turn 
depends upon others for those articles that 
he cannot grow. 
A farmer hears that some consumer paid 
more for an article than lie received for the 
same, and lie immediately comes to the con¬ 
clusion that he has been swindled by a mid¬ 
dleman ; and when a consumer learns the 
amount the farmer received, he joins in the 
cry. That a difference of quality or condi¬ 
tion should exist in the articles, is an idea 
which never enter their minds; or, do they 
care about that? The opportunity to com¬ 
plain must not be lost! 
The fact is, ignorance is the foundation of 
many of these complaints. Did these persons 
stop to consider the expense of getting the 
article sold, and the course through which it 
must pass to reach the consumer, they could 
readily understand that they had not been 
swindled; and that tbe commission men 
are not the dishonest characters they are 
represented to be. I have frequently been 
amused by persons who arc themselves mid¬ 
dlemen, and depend on that class for em¬ 
ployment, finding fault simply because they 
have had to pay a trifle more for an article 
at retail than it cost wholesale. 
The dry goods dealers denounce the dealer 
in produce; he, in turn, will denounce some 
stand iu the way of the consumer by in¬ 
creasing the prices; it is sometimes the case, 
but not the rule; for through them large 
quantities are brought into tbe cities that 
would not otherwise come, and all business 
men understand that tbe supply governs tbe 
price. C. W. Idell, 
-»♦+■- 
HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT. 
[Nearly a year ago there was considerable 
discussion, in the Rural, of this subject. The 
following article was written last June; but it 
is not out of place now— Eds. Rural.] 
I have read with pleasure several articles 
in the Rural on the management of high¬ 
ways. One thinks the mode of electing 
road masters a humbug. Others say their 
road masters are appointed by the Road 
Commissioner, but dori't say they think it a 
better system. I would tell something of 
our mode. Our road masters are elected by 
ayes and noes at the annual town meetings, 
notwithstanding “ Thomson (or any other 
man) on highways,” whom we have never 
seen, but wish would make his appearance, 
if he can suggest anything better than gen¬ 
erally practiced in this vicinity. I am a lit¬ 
tle in doubt as to the efficiency of Thomson’s 
system. The appointment of road masters 
by the Commissioner would generally be 
made at home, or while with the Totvn 
Clerk making out road warrants; and not 
being well acquainted In all parts of the 
town, they would in many cases reappoint 
the same man year after year, who would 
invariably work such parts of the road as 
he generally traveled. The changing of 
road masters from one part of a road district 
to another, keeps all purls of (he road equal¬ 
ly well worked. The question then, is this; 
Can the Commissioner make a better selec¬ 
tion of road masters than persons In and 
about a road district? Those having expe¬ 
rience in both ways please answer. 
Chapter 626 of the Laws of New York 
says:—“Every person liable to do highway 
ways now have, <fec. 
4. Any person 
ITEMS FOR HERDSMEN. 
To Cure Murrain. 
S. S. Brown, Springville, N. Y., 1ms 
known several cases of murrain cured by giv¬ 
ing saltpeter. To a full grown animal give 
a tablespoonfuI. pulverized and mix with 
salt or dissolve in water. For a preventive 
a tablespuonful as above. 
Avmil■ re* lor ilie Soulhwmt. 
We find in the South-Land (published at 
New Orleans,) the following from a lady 
reputed of great inteliegcnce and as having 
had unusual experience with improved cat¬ 
tle :—“ After an experience of twenty years, 
the Ayrshires have proved to be the only 
cows able to stand the severity of a Southern 
summer. The Durham and Devon stock are 
both liable to fevers, and consequently to a 
great decrease of milk:—but the Ayrshire 
thrive perfectly even upon the common pas¬ 
turage of the country. The Devon when 
mixed with the Ayrshire, usually make 
veiy fine oxen. But for milking purposes, 
the Ayrshire exceed all others, becoming as 
hardy as the Creole cows. So says mother, 
and so convinced is she of it, that I verily 
believe she imagines the ‘lean kine' of 
Pharaoh’s dream to have been Durham, that 
could not be acclimated, and the fat ones 
Ayrshire 1” 
Mercury in Water. 
The cows belonging to a mining estab¬ 
lishment iu Nicarauga, drank water from a 
trough in which the mercury used by tbe 
miners was occasionally washed. Persons 
who used this milk became severely sali¬ 
vated, but the cause was not discovered for 
some time, as the cows did not at first show 
the effects of the poisou. But afterwards 
they became reduced iu condition, and their 
gums much swollen, and some, though not 
all, died. Distinct traces of mercury were 
found in the milk by analysis. 
Activity Among Maine Breeders. 
The Maine Farmer says; —“We have 
never known a time in the agricultural his¬ 
tory of our State, when her farmers and 
breeders were showing so much activity and 
intelligence In carrying forward their opera¬ 
tions as at present. We have in Maine gen¬ 
tlemen of character, intelligence and wealth 
who are engaged in breeding thorough-bred 
animals of all lbe types now held in esteem for 
the various purposes,— Devons. Herefords, 
Short-Horns, Jerseys, Ayrshires.” 
--- 
Good Piiir of Twin Steer*,—Mr. D. W. Barnes, 
Munson. Ohio, 1ms a pair of twin Durham steers 
two years old, that weigh 2,916 pounds and are 
growing finely. They took the first premium at 
the Ohio State Fair in 1809. 
oilier branch of the business, simply because labor, living or owning property on the line 
they all want a profit on the articles they of any plank road, may, on making written 
deal in That is the whole secret. What a application to the Commissioner, he assessed 
pity it is that all grumblers could not colo- apportionment of highway labor, upon 
nize, and build up a country that would be such road, and the Commissioner shall assess 
all they desire, and not be compelled to live such P^ons as a separate road district 
where they cannot do just as tJvey please, (As amended by Chapter 495. Laws o 1855 
and make every one else do as they want Sec. 8. The Directors of such road shall 
them to do ! possess all the powers to compel the per- 
Who are middlemen? Every one that formance of such labor, as overseers ofhigli- 
comes between the producer, manufacturer, wa .V s m)W have, *C\ Se '' '*• An } r P er ?°. n 
wiuawwww ,, » „„ ... may commute by paving the sum (one dol- 
and the consumer. Could we do away with lar y now fixed b y ]aw *» 
this class? We would find ourselves in a Now, let us see how this works. Do the 
strange condition, newsdealers, commission Directors compel the performance or such 
merchants, agents of all kinds, retail and labor? No, sir Do persons commute by 
. e .i not tie paying one dollar? No sir. 1 hey open 
most ot thewholesa commute for fifty cents per day, or make 
known among us. Consumers would g $ucli arrangements whereby they “ get off'” 
direct to the factory for all they wear; to cheap. Many farmers do a great deal ol 
the miller for their flour, and to tbe fanner farm teaming on cross roads, but don’t help 
for their fruit and produce. This plan work them. , , 
•" h r i " d JT jmessss i 
but not at the present. Tho plain ac l W e of the cross roads are annually cheated 
the case is, that neither farmers nor consum- ou f 0 j> an average of 125 days work, on ont 
ere can do without the middlemen. readonly. Yes, cheated! Is it. anyth inn 
The demand for all the products of the but. a cheat? There is another road of like 
.. , „ „ , i,; a „ itv . kind on which I am not so well posted. 1 
farm by tlie consumers in t y • agree with Mr. Pket, that our road lawi 
great, that we are compelled to draw on 8 j,ould be somewhat revised. Let toll roadf 
the resources of an immense district of work themselves, or be thrown up am 
country to supply this demand, and farmers divided into districts. I have not said lial 
living at a distance cannot bring their pro- that t would on ibis subject, bet let otlien 
duee to market themselves. The cost aiis- tlum j An Observer of Things. 
ing from this operation is larger than the Deansv iu e , n. Y. 
commission; besides they know little or -+++■'—- 
nothing of the value of the article they SOUTHERN LABORERS, 
bring hither, for the fluctuations in prices in Tin; importance of TtuiiiNii'iou* Habit*. 
this market are greater than in any other. - 
The dairyman’s butter or cheese may be Poor white people are less reliable as flel< 
worth several cent, more or 1^ per pound. $,» SH 
on arrival than when it started from home, B j a y es ijefore the war. Habits of industr 
and consumers do not. want to purchase the once fairly fixed, generally continue for life 
quantity that he brings. If he grows small whether they exist in a white or black pei 
fruits he cannot market his crop, for he must son. r I he mildness of onr climate, the bourn 
. _ . n ;^i»[no- onrl less uXteutot cheap, open land, and the fo 
be at home to attend to the picking and ^ wil|l which a * £ > is made w ith littl 
shipping of it; besides there are many diffl* j aboF) u p encourage habits of idleness, n 
culties in his way that forbid him selling his mutter what the wages an enterprisin 
own fruit. It is a fact, that when farmers do farmer or planter may offer this class c 
come to sell their produce, they want more population. . 
for it than the consumer can go to tlie dealer ^TbJS jSSSSW 
and buy it for. had raised much more cotton than they wer 
may commute by paying the sum (one dol¬ 
lar) now fixed by law*.” 
Now, let us see how this works. Do the 
Directors compel the performance ot such 
labor? No, sir. Do persons commute by 
paying one dollar? No sir. They often 
commute for fifty cents per day, or make 
such arrangements whereby they “ get off’’’ 
cheap. Many farmers do a great deal of 
farm teaming on cross roads, but don’t help 
work them. 
Some see the injustice of such a law, and 
refuse to take advantage of it. In our town, 
we of the cross roads arc annually cheated 
out of an average of 125 days work, on one 
road only. Yes, cheated! Is it. anything 
but a cheat? There is another road of like 
kind on which I am not so well posted. I 
agree with Ml'. Pket, that our road laws 
should be somewhat revised. Lot toll roads 
work themselves, or be thrown up and 
divided into districts. I have not said half 
that f would on liiis subject, but let others 
follow who can write more readable articles 
than I. An Observer of Tihngs. 
Deansvltle, N. Y. 
-■*-*-♦-—'»- 
SOUTHERN LABORERS. 
The Importance of IndiiMU’ious Habit*. 
Poor white people are less reliable as field 
hands, on large plantations, than men and 
women who were raised to such service as 
slaves before the war. Habits of industry 
once fairly fixed, generally continue for life, 
whether they exist in a white or black per¬ 
son. The mildness of our climate, the bound¬ 
less extent of cheap, open land, and tlie fa¬ 
cility with which a living is made with little 
labor, all encourage habits of idleness, no 
matter what the wages an enterprising 
farmer or planter may offer this class of 
population. 
Last fall the writer was on plantations in 
Southwestern Georgia, where colored people 
had raised much more cotton than they were 
Again, I have known men who were con- a l)Ie to gather in season to save the crop 
sidered smart, businessmen at home, come from loss by beating rains, Tbe staple being 
to the city to sell their own and neighbors, worth twenty-five cents a pound, great efioi t^ 
, .... _ . „„„„ were made to lure white laborers to assist m 
produce, but'their expel lence s *8 picking cotton, but generally will) poor suc- 
them that they had better return home and £ egg ^ poor fauiily would pick a week 
place their business in the hands of reliable 
dealers, for they would receive more clear 
money from them than they could them¬ 
selves get, to say nothing of their trouble. 
The point I contend for is thisThat 
this country’s prosperty is due to the middle¬ 
men; for through them the farmer is en¬ 
abled to market all he can produce, at a 
cheaper rate than he could dispose of it him¬ 
self, and consequently the amount sent is 
larger and prices correspondingly lower to 
the consumer, without loss to the farmer. 
The consumer cannot wait for farmers to 
come to market; nor can he always afford 
worth twenty-five cents a pound, great efforts 
were made to hire white laborers to assist in 
picking cotton, but generally with poor suc¬ 
cess. A poor family would pick a week 
perhaps, and then quit to expend the money 
earned, rather than work longer and have a 
larger sum. 
A low standard of comfort in the masses 
is our greatest evil at this time. A higher 
standard would stimulate industry and there¬ 
by create far more wealth in all the comforts 
of civilized life. The poor whiles need edu- 
Cutkm more than the poor blacks. But 
education is not necessary to life, like food. 
Sovereigns who will not work enough to 
have bread and meat, decent clothes and a 
fair dwelling, can hardly be expected to labor 
much for any educational purpose. Com¬ 
pared with the pain of hunger, or that from 
a biting frost, education is a remote and idle 
abstraction. The sovereign Indian, negro 
or white man is not easily forced into the 
to buy a quantity large enough to last uutil or white man is not easily forced into the 
the farmer may come again ; but he can al- ideas, habits and industry ot anv class whose 
ways go to tbe middleman and purchase a, 
any time, and in any quantity as he maj alike invention and muscular labor in ihe 
wish, or his means permit, and lose no time, ic y North, does not exist in the sunny 
which is a valuable consideration. South. ^ee. 
It is an erroneous idea that middlemen Gap Creek, Tenn., 18(0. 
